Press Release: School Feeding Programme – Over 8.2M Pupils Now Being Fed in 24 States

*Over 80,000 cooks engaged in 45,394 schools

Following the achievement of its target of 5.5 million pupils being fed free daily under the programme in 2017, the Buhari administration’s National Home-grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) now feeds 8,260,984 pupils in 45,394 public primary schools across 24 states.

The 24 states currently benefitting from the school feeding programme are Anambra, Enugu, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Delta, Abia, Benue, Plateau, Bauchi, Taraba, Kaduna, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Imo, Jigawa, Niger, Kano, Katsina, Gombe, Ondo and Borno.

Similarly, over 80,000 direct jobs have since been created from the School Feeding Programme; with 87,261 cooks currently engaged in the 24 participating states. All 36 states of the Federation and the FCT will eventually benefit from the programme.

The programme’s educational, economic and health benefits have been praised by many.

Not only has the Buhari administration’s School Feeding Programme created jobs for thousands of Nigerians in these communities where the programme is being implemented, it has also helped to boost local economies by linking the local farmers to the school feeding market.

Similarly, the school feeding programme continues to record significant milestones in the classrooms as the scheme has led to an increase in enrolment.

Another important aspect of the School Feeding Programme is that by providing a meal a day for millions of pupils, it addresses the issues of malnutrition and stunting among children, increasing the chances of the pupils making a significant headway in their learning and in life.

The NHGSFP plans to implement feeding in 28 States in the coming months, and all over the country soon after.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity to the President
Office of the Vice President
23rd May, 2018

VP Osinbajo’s Remarks at the 2018 Direct Investors’ Summit

*Says FG has established an infrastructure fund for development

*Nigeria’s greatest potential is its “incredibly energetic and entrepreneurial people,” VP adds

“We are gathered here at this Summit to talk about investments meeting with opportunity as a compliment to the recent work done in the ERGP Focus Labs. The inspiring news is that we have emerged from the recession determined more than ever to make up for lost time and missed opportunities. Our focus on agriculture has attracted billions of dollars in investments in the last three years: in rice mills, sugar plantations, in fertilizer blending plants, among others.

“We have grown our taxpayer base by 5 million new taxpayers; from 14 million in 2016 to 19 million today, as part of efforts to diversify Nigeria’s revenue base and to bring more people and businesses into the formal sector.

“Our Sovereign Wealth Fund, as I said, has gone way up, especially with the fresh investments, a new investment of about $640 million, and this is devoted to infrastructure. We have put together an infrastructure fund, which we hope will, in the next few weeks, be launched. And we expect that this infrastructure fund will be the beginning of some of the work that we intend to do on road infrastructure in particular. This, of course, will offer fresh opportunities for those who would want to either partner with us in the PPPs that we intend to do in roads and other infrastructure, or those we simply want to contract.

“I think that the question that we should ask is: what does all of this mean for us as investors and potential investors who might be in the room? It means you can rest assured that there is a government in place that is committed to doing right by Nigeria, and to ensuring that everyone with a stake in Nigeria, especially those who would be investing and citizens alike – that all of us can succeed, that it is possible to do things properly, it is possible for us to create the right environment and for our investors to feel confident that government would always have their backs when they are investing here, and that things will be done properly.

SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE DIRECT INVESTORS’ SUMMIT 2018, HELD AT TRANSCORP HILTON HOTEL, ABUJA, ON TUESDAY, 22TH MAY, 2018.

PROTOCOL

It is a pleasure to be here with you at the Direct Investors’ Summit 2018, even though I am catching up only at the end of day 1.
As you already know this Summit is the first of its kind held by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), and it seeks to highlight and showcase Nigeria’s investment opportunities.

Some of these investment opportunities are obvious, others less so. But I am sure that in the last couple of hours and by the time this Summit ends tomorrow, you would have had a much fuller picture of Nigeria’s promise and potential.

Nigeria’s opportunities are premised on a number of strategic factor endowments: our sprawling arable land, rich mineral investments, our gateway position, not just for West Africa but for all of the African continent. But the jewel in that crown is unmistakable: Our People. A population that is Africa’s largest, and half of the entire West Africa. It is also one of the most youthful populations in the world, with 50 per cent under the age of 20 and 75 per cent under the age of 35; an incredibly energetic and entrepreneurial people. It is easy to see why any global company serious about its future just has to have a plan for Nigeria, as many opportunities abound.

Last December, a cereal factory opened in Lagos to manufacture Kellogg’s cornflakes; the result of a partnership between an American company and Tolaram, a Singaporean conglomerate. Although the Kellogg Company is over a hundred years old, that factory was its first investment in Nigeria. Barely half a year later, they are already talking about expansion plans, as the new factory has already hit maximum capacity.

There are also many successful partnerships between the public and private sectors, perhaps the best example is the Nigeria LNG, a Nigerian run company that liquifies Nigeria’s natural gas for export all over the world and helped Nigeria earn her place as the 4th largest LNG exporter in the world. The Company is majority private-sector owned by three multinational oil companies, while Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) holds a minority stake.

In e-commerce, financial services, retail, manufacturing, the stories of success also abound. MTN is one of the better-known of the private sector examples; the story of its investment in Nigeria is frequently cited in investment circles. Today the company operates in more than 20 countries, but earns more than half its revenues from Nigeria. It is now planning to list on The Nigerian Stock Exchange, where it will create billions of naira in new value for many Nigerians and investors from anywhere else in the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen, central to any conversation about investment in Nigeria is the nature of our business environment, the degree to which it is conducive to starting and running a business. One of our biggest priorities and commitments as a government has been the creation of an enabling business environment, one in which property rights and the rule of law are respected, and in which markets take the lead, while government efficiently fulfils its role as a protector and enabler.

Since 2016, we have launched a number of efforts in this regard. The most ambitious is the Ease of Doing Business Reforms, being implemented by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), which I have the honour of chairing. PEBEC has implemented a series of National Action Plans, targeted interventions aimed at dismantling specific bottlenecks around business and property registration, access to finance, payment of taxes, importing and exporting goods, entry into and exit from Nigeria, and so on.

On account of these reforms, the World Bank recognized Nigeria as one of the top 10 most improved economies in the world in 2017, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cited our business climate reforms as a major contributor to lifting the economy out of recession last year.

We are also actively collaborating with State Governments, under whose oversight some reform areas like land acquisition and property registration fall. Very recently, Lagos and Kano States – the two largest subnational economies in Nigeria – launched small claims courts to focus on SME litigations that do not exceed a certain threshold. Lagos and Kano had also come together to work out how these two of the largest economies in our country can function together, and especially with respect to certain manufacturing concerns such as leather, rice and several others.

But perhaps the most exciting of our current initiatives is our Focus Labs. The Focus lab is a process which involves our identifying investment projects that are being held back by bureaucratic bottlenecks and other challenges, and bringing the project owners and investors together with the relevant senior government officials and regulatory authorities to resolve those challenges.

The first phase of the Focus Labs identified $22.5 billion worth of investment projects. About $10 billion worth of these projects, with a potential for 500,000 jobs by 2020, have been classified as ‘Most Ready’, which means that we can get them up and running very quickly. Think of the Focus Labs as ‘Ease of Doing Business’ specifically targeted at domestic and foreign direct investors, and you would not be wrong.

Our justice sector reforms have focused also on fighting judicial corruption and building the capacity of judges. The Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) has been spearheading efforts in this regard, with notable successes recorded.

If you regard the business environment and rule of law reforms as the soft infrastructure component, then power and transportation would be the harder elements; and they are just as important. We have, in the last three years, invested close to $10 billion – an unprecedented sum – in infrastructure since 2016, focusing on roads, on power and on a new national rail network; all of which will help guarantee increased access to markets and reduced operating costs for businesses.

We are gathered here at this Summit to talk about investments meeting with opportunity as a compliment to the recent work done in the ERGP Focus Labs. The inspiring news is that we have emerged from the recession determined more than ever to make up for lost time and missed opportunities. Our focus on agriculture has attracted billions of dollars in investments in the last three years: in rice mills, sugar plantations, in fertilizer blending plants, among others.

And our Foreign Reserves have risen well beyond $40 billion now, up from $30 billion when we assumed office, and our Sovereign Wealth Fund has, in the last two years, seen its first new inflows since 2011.

We have grown our taxpayer base by 5 million new taxpayers; from 14 million in 2016 to 19 million today, as part of efforts to diversify Nigeria’s revenue base and to bring more people and businesses into the formal sector. And in 2017 we issued two new Eurobonds, our first Sukuk and Diaspora Bonds, as well as Africa’s first sovereign Green Bond – all of them very well received by the markets.

Our Sovereign Wealth Fund, as I said, has gone way up, especially with the fresh investments, a new investment of about $640 million, and this is devoted to infrastructure. We have put together an infrastructure fund, which we hope will, in the next few weeks, be launched. And we expect that this infrastructure fund will be the beginning of some of the work that we intend to do on road infrastructure in particular. This, of course, will offer fresh opportunities for those who would want to either partner with us in the PPPs that we intend to do in roads and other infrastructure, or those we simply want to contract.

In fact, when you look at the story, I think that the question that we should ask is: what does all of this mean for us as investors and potential investors who might be in the room? It means you can rest assured that there is a government in place that is committed to doing right by Nigeria, and to ensuring that everyone with a stake in Nigeria, especially those who would be investing and citizens alike – that all of us can succeed, that it is possible to do things properly, it is possible for us to create the right environment and for our investors to feel confident that government would always have their backs when they are investing here, and that things will be done properly.

For even more proof of seriousness about improving the investment climate in Nigeria, I think we need look no further than the NIPC itself, hosts of this Summit.

In the last 18 months, the Commission has left no doubt whatsoever about its commitment to fulfilling its mandate of encouraging and investments in Nigeria. It has compiled a comprehensive listing of all investment incentives in Nigeria, making it easier for existing and potential investors to have equal access to the information.

It has also launched an online, multilingual investors guide with the kind of basic information about starting a business, labour laws, taxes, land, etc that investors need to better understand Nigeria.

Now, NIPC is significantly more engaged and responsive to the needs and requirements of investors, and progressively improving the quality of information available to assist investors in making better investment decisions about Nigeria. In increasing its focus on delivering its mandate, and in its partnership with the FIRS for the Compendium of Investment Incentives and with NBS for this Summit, NIPC, in my view, is a real exemplar of the new culture of governance which we are trying to entrench across Nigeria.

I would like to urge you all to take maximum advantage of your time at this Summit, especially tomorrow when the actual engagements begin. This, in my view, is a great opportunity for us to dive behind the news headlines and the clichéd narratives, and to find out for yourselves why you should or why all of the smart money is coming here to Nigeria.

I thank you very much for listening.

Released by:

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
22nd May, 2018

VP Osinbajo’s Keynote Address at the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 OGP Week in Abuja

It really is a special pleasure to be here with you, as we commence the Open Government Partnership Week in Nigeria. Our government came into office on the back of a three-pronged agenda, one ensuring security, two rebuilding the economy, and third, vigorously prosecuting the fight against corruption.

This last issue, corruption, has been an existential issue for Nigeria, threatening the very fundament of our existence. It has ensured that, for too long, the resources meant for the majority, have been cornered by a greedy minority.

This issue of corruption underlines every aspect of our national life, from our security situation to the state of our economy. It was the reason why, in spite of record oil revenues between 2011 and 2013/14, we saw no savings, and very little investment in infrastructure and jobs, and, in spite of the billions of dollars reportedly invested in security, the Boko Haram insurgency and other cases of insecurity did not abate.

Our government has adopted a two-step approach to dealing with this scourge of systemic corruption. The first is to stop grand corruption and the accompanying impunity. The second step and the more enduring one, is what this week is about, creating a self- sustaining system that assures transparency and accountability.

We have, since we assumed office three years ago, made remarkable progress in pushing the frontiers of transparency and accountability in the Federal Government. One of the first things that the President did when we took office was to establish the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), to coordinate our reform efforts in this regard.

We inherited a Treasury Single Account (TSA) system that existed mainly as an idea, without any committed implementation. Since the Presidential Order by President Buhari in August 2015, we have made remarkable progress in expanding the reach of the TSA, so that today, we are almost at 100 percent compliance.

The London Anti-Corruption Summit in May 2016 was an important milestone for us, in our anti-Corruption efforts, because it helped crystallize various national commitments into an effective multinational anti-corruption coalition.

It was at that conference that Nigeria committed to joining the OGP, and we fulfilled this commitment in July 2017 when we became the 70th country to join the Open Government Partnership (OGP), an international multi-stakeholder initiative, focused on improving transparency, accountability, citizen participation and responsiveness to citizens through technology and innovation. Following this, President Buhari constituted the OGP National Steering Committee (NSC), with the Federal Ministry of Justice as the Coordinating Ministry.

The OGP Nigeria has since developed its first National Action Plan (NAP) of fourteen commitments with focus on four thematic areas of Fiscal Transparency, Anti-Corruption, Access to Information and Citizens’ Engagement.

One of the remarkable things about the OGP is that it was designed to function as a partnership between the governments and the private sector. Without this coalition-building, I doubt that much progress would be achievable. Regardless of whether the goal is improving infrastructure or fighting corruption, it is clear, as it has always been, that governments cannot do it alone.

The skills, experience, resources and technology that the private sector brings to the table, are often invaluable and in many instances represent the difference between success and failure. We ought to equally acknowledge that there is a limit to what civil society by itself can accomplish by itself, without building bridges with the public sector that is very often the target of its work. What our experience with OGP in Nigeria has proven, is that it is possible to build a coalition of like-minded reformers drawn from government and non-state actors.

In addition to joining the OGP, and developing a National Action Plan in 2016, the Federal Government also established a Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), housed in the Federal Ministry of Finance, to clean up the Federal payroll and pensions systems, across all our Ministries, Departments and Agencies. PICA’s work in this regard has helped the Federal Government save more than N200 Billion by eliminating ghost workers. Like the TSA, we are also aggressively expanding the rollout of the Government Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), to ensure that the loopholes that enable payroll fraud are permanently blocked. PICA also oversees the Whistleblowing Programme we launched in December 2016. That Programme had seen recoveries of N7.8 billion, $378 million and 27,800 pounds sterling, as at March 2018.

Nigeria’s experience has shown that technology and innovations, as well as social media platforms, are changing the ways in which citizens engage with government, and empowering citizens and non-state actors to take a more active role in holding government to account. On our part, the Buhari administration is also actively leveraging technology in a way no previous government in Nigeria has, to underpin the President’s commitment to accountable governance. Indeed, much of the focus of the OGP is on the ways in which technology can help scale up the impact and reach of public sector anti-corruption and transparency initiatives.

I’ve spoken previously about our work expanding the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). A National Open Contracting Platform (NOCOPO), developed by the Bureau for Public Procurement, has become operational and is currently being piloted in a number of government institutions.

Similarly, the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) launched its Public Private Partnerships (PPP) Contracts Disclosure Portal in September 2017, to ensure the timely disclosure of contract information from project initiation through to implementation.

The Budget Office of the Federation, in line with global best practice and Open Budget Survey Index, also developed the citizens ‘I-Monitor’ Portal which enables citizens across the country to access budget information in real time and to monitor projects while encouraging proactive feedback to the government. An Open Contracting Working Group made up of civil society organizations and government institutions, are working together to enhance citizens’ access to, and understanding of procurement information.

Civil Society Organisations are also taking the lead in interesting ways. Take the example of BudgIT, a civil society partner that works on transparency in budgeting and tracking of government expenditure, using technology and graphic design. BudgIT has also developed Tracka.ng, a tool that enables citizens to share updates on budget implementation in their communities.

The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) has led the way in the development of ‘BUDESHI’, a technology platform that will assist non-state actors to monitor ongoing procurements.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, one of the important areas of progress is the ongoing effort to establish a public register of beneficial owners. It is our hope that this will help bring to an end, the era of anonymous company ownership which aids capital flight, illicit financial flows and tax evasion. The Nigeria Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is working closely with the Government of the United Kingdom and the Open Ownership – a global project, whose aim is to build an Open Global Beneficial Ownership Register – to develop Open Ownership Data Standards to achieve this goal.

Since we joined the OGP, access to public information premised on the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act enacted in 2011, has improved significantly. I am told that at least 106 government institutions now have designated FOI Desk Officers, to ensure speedy responses to information requests in compliance with the (FOI) Act and the commitments we have made under the Nigeria OGP National Action Plan.

We have set up a Presidential Committee on Asset Recovery (PCAR), and developed procedures and guidance to ensure that all recovered funds are paid into a single Central Bank Asset Recovery account, for improved transparency and ease of management.

The Federal Government’s agreement with the Swiss Government on the return of looted funds traced to former Head of State General Sani Abacha, led to the remittance of US$322 million in December 2017. This historic agreement also includes CSO monitoring of the utilization of the returned asset. I must acknowledge the role played by The Africa Network for Environment & Economic Justice (ANEEJ) in the negotiation of this agreement and leading of other CSOs in monitoring the utilization of the fund.

Since 2017, our annual national budgets have included a line item on revenue generated from asset recoveries. All funds forfeited to the Federal Government are being included in our yearly budget proposals, for appropriation by the National Assembly. We have also committed to investing these recovered funds on Infrastructure projects and our National Social Investment Programme. In addition, we have submitted a Bill to the National Assembly for the purpose of enacting a more comprehensive legislation on proceeds of crime.

The successes recorded from the implementation of the OGP framework, have contributed in no small measure to the improvement in the perception of Nigeria’s business environment by investors, businesses, and the international community.

Through the work of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), who are also members of the OGP National Steering Committee, Nigeria moved 24 places up on the World Bank’s 2017 Doing Business Index. The reforms, many of them heavily dependent on technology, have seen business registration time, reduced to under 48 hours, simplified processes for paying taxes and obtaining Nigerian visas, and improved access not just to credit by businesses, but also to credit information by potential lenders. The reforms have also led to the passage of landmark reform legislation like the Secured Transactions in Moveable Assets Act of 2017 and Trading Reporting Act 2017.

As we make progress at the federal level, we are also working with the States, through the subnational engagement framework, under the OGP National Action Plan, to improve transparency, accountability and citizen participation at other levels of governance. I am delighted to note that Kaduna State has not only developed its OGP State Action Plan, which was approved by the State Executive Council early this year, it has also become one of the first pilot states adopted from Nigeria by the OGP International.

I am equally delighted, that our efforts in fighting corruption and deepening good governance are being recognized and applauded globally. I have been told by the OGP Secretariat, that Nigeria was this year, elected into the global steering committee of the Open Government Partnership (OGP). And then there was the designation, in 2017, of President Buhari as the African Union’s 2018 ‘Anti-corruption Champion’. This is yet another testament to the hard work and political will that this administration has demonstrated in the fight against corruption, even in the face of great resistance.

There is no doubt that governments which seek to earn and sustain the trust of citizens, must learn to maintain high standards of transparency. The role of the OGP, in pushing for and achieving these high standards is evident, and wholly deserving of commendation.

Let me, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, extend our sincere gratitude, to all those who have made today possible, particularly the OGP Steering Committee, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, who is also the co-chair and the non-state co-chair of the OGP National Steering Committee, members of the OGP National Steering Committee made up of non-state actors, government institutions and the OGP Secretariat.

Distinguished participants, as we deliberate this week on the progress made by the OGP Nigeria, develop new ideas for future work to expand civic engagements, I encourage you to come up with policy recommendations that can radically help in further opening up Government at all levels in Nigeria.

We look forward to receiving the final report and recommendations at the end of this week. I thank you for your kind attention.

Just before I sit, I have the very distinguished pleasure of presenting the OGP Nigeria National Action Plan, 2017 – 2019. Thank you very much.

Released by:

Laolu Akande,
Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity)
Office of the Vice President
7th May, 2018

VP Osinbajo’s Address at the 2018 May Day Celebration at Eagle Square, Abuja

Let me begin by wishing all of us gathered here, mainly our two federations of Trade Unions – the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), a happy celebration of May Day in solidarity with organized labour the world over. I salute and pay tribute to all Nigerian workers and working families. It is on your hard work, innovation, resilience and patriotism that our nation is building the structures for true greatness.

I must also seize this opportunity to acknowledge the historical contributions of Nigerian working people and organized labour to the political, economic, social and cultural development of our nation. The Nigerian organized labour has always been at the forefront of the push for a better Nigeria, from the struggles for independence; right through to the clamour for the restoration of the democratic order, and, in the last 19 years, for the sustenance of the freedoms guaranteed by our democracy. I must also say that Nigerian organized labour has contributed actively towards helping Nigeria get out, in record time, of an economic recession arising from past economic mismanagement.

This administration has remained committed to improving the welfare of the Nigerian people. When we came into office at least 22 States were owing salaries, some for a whole year. If you recall in November 2015, the President said and I quote, “all my life I have always earned a salary, so I understand what it means when your salary is not paid or when it is not enough.”

Just last year, Mr. President speaking to governors visiting him, again went back to the issue of salaries, I don’t know how any of you can go to sleep at night knowing that your workers have not been paid. The President’s concern for workers is not theoretical or rhetorical, but one borne out of experience, and respect for the sweat of the working classes, This is why we evolved mechanisms to bail out all the 36 states of the Federation, to the tune of N1.91Trillion so far including Paris Club repayments, in recognition of the shortfalls in their finances arising in particular from the oil shocks of 2015/2016.

We have extended this support regardless of party affiliation, to enable the States settle the backlog of arrears and salaries and pensions of workers. At the inauguration of the National Economic Council in 2015, President Buhari publicly declared that our administration will support every State, because poverty is no respecter of ethnic group, religion or party affiliation.

While we do recognize that payment of salaries and pensions is essential, we are also conscious of the fact that the increasing cost of living and the recognition to ensure a fair and decent living wage, has rendered the Minimum Wage Instrument which is currently in force obsolete. Accordingly, President Buhari on November 27, 2017, inaugurated a Tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee to renegotiate the National Minimum Wage for our workers.

As you are all aware, the subject of a National Minimum Wage for the Federation is within the Exclusive Legislative List of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). This means it is primarily the responsibility of the Federal Government. Although, there are arguments regarding fixing minimum wage in a Federation such as ours, it is the responsibility of government to establish the necessary social protection for all Nigerian workers based on the ability of each tier of Government to pay.

The argument for a national minimum wage, therefore, cannot be faulted, because minimum wage is the minimum amount of compensation an employee must receive for putting in his or her labour and as such, should be anchored on the principles of social justice, equity, and fairness. We believe that those who can pay above the social protection floor are free to do so, as many have been doing in many States and sectors of the economy.

This administration has no intention of presiding over the dismantling of the gains of organized labour through the years, especially almost four decades ago. Our hope therefore, is that the Tripartite Committee comprising government, labour, and the private sector, will expedite its assignment to enable the Federal Government to present an Executive Bill on a new National Minimum Wage to the National Assembly for passage into law, as soon as possible. In the meantime, the Federal Government and the State governments will continue to work together, to improve the conditions of workers across the country.

Great Nigerian workers, it will be belabouring the point, to say that a virile organized labour is a vital institution for our nation at every point in its development. In our political and democratic evolution, a virile labour is a sine qua non. In the interest of the men and women of our society, who need a voice to speak loudly against economic or social injustice, Labour must remain united.

Let me seize this opportunity once again, to reiterate this administration’s commitment to the unity of the Nigerian organized labour, to serve as a bulwark against divisive forces, internally and externally. Accordingly, I advise that the Nigerian labour movement must employ its leadership skills of conflict resolution and utilize all the internal mechanism to resolve conflicts, because factionalization is not an option and not the answer.

I must at this point, appreciate the Nigerian labour movement, for being a strong pillar of support for our anti-corruption agenda. The government recognizes the fact that, indeed, the first line real victims of corruption are the Nigerian workers and working families, along with the rural poor. They are the ones who suffer the most from the corruption of the political classes.

It is regrettable that despite the enormous revenues Nigeria earned from oil in recent past, we still have problems with payment of salaries and pensions of workers, largely due to mismanagement and corruption. I assure you that under our administration, we will ensure that we expend every kobo of public funds, towards securing the welfare of all Nigerians.

We have continued to demonstrate our commitment, to the welfare of Nigerians by ensuring, that we protect the socially excluded and socially vulnerable. For the first time in the history of our country, we are implementing a full social protection programme, through a youth employment scheme, N-Power, Micro-credit to small businesses, Conditional Cash Transfers to the poorest, and a Home Grown School Feeding programme. So far we have employed 200,000 graduates in our N-Power programme, and we are bracing up to do 300,000 more.

Today, we are feeding over 7million children in 22 States, and we have employed 70,000 cooks. So far, we have given over 362,000 Microcredit loans, and our target is to give 1million of such loans especially to market women and artisans. We have also given cash transfers over 300,000 of the poorest Nigerians our Conditional Cash Transfers. Our target is to give this benefit to 1 million of the poorest.

The issue of course is that every country, of the size of Nigeria, especially a developing country, must have a social protection policy; we must have a safety net. The resources of the country must be used to protect those who either cannot work, or are vulnerable and poor in ways those who experience it can imagine. We take it as our duty, as a progressive government, to ensure that we protect the poor and vulnerable, and this is the main objective of the programmes that we have put in place.

These programmes have been targeted at the most vulnerable segments of our society, and are meant to ensure that we build a socially cohesive society, in which the resources of the country work for all. We will continue to apply public funds in such a way, that no section of the country or segment of the population, suffers social exclusion.

It is also the reason why we have prioritized agriculture in our economic planning. Our investment in the sector is paying off; importation of rice has dropped to just 2%. Millions of farmers, producing rice, sorghum, millet, tomatoes and other grains, are earning decent returns on their investments. We will soon be self-sufficient in both rice and tomato paste. We will soon be sufficient in our food as the President has said, “we must grow what we eat.” It is up to us, to ensure that we are self-sufficient in our food production and it is the duty of our government and we have considered it our historical task to ensure that we are able to provide food that is home grown and available to all Nigerians for cheap.

We have no choice but to improve our business environment, our business environment must enable medium and small scale businesses to work. To this end, we are committed to ensuring the reduction of interest rates so that businesses can have access to cheap credit. It is important to encourage young people in technology, innovation and the entertainment industry. We intend shortly, through the instrumentality of an advisory body, to mainstream the incentives available to the rest of industry to these new businesses.

Let me say also, as you are all quite aware, that insecurity has remained a big challenge for us all. But we are determined to face this challenge and secure the country more than ever before. To this end, Mr President and the Security Council have been engaging in rigorous stock taking, with a view to reengineering our security architecture to meet the challenges of the mindless killings in some parts of the country, including the threats of marauding herdsmen, cattle rustlers and bandits.

It is our duty to secure the rights of farmers, and all citizens, and to ensure that herders also can rear their cattle, especially as we have proposed in well-resourced ranches. But there are also criminals who want to stoke religious and ethnic crisis. Criminals who want to divide the country, using all manners of excuses including the recent attacks.

What is the explanation for anyone to go into a church to kill priests and worshippers? We recognize that while the protection of lives and property is a primary responsibility of government, it is also incumbent on us as citizens to share in this responsibility, as security is a collective responsibility. This country belongs to us all.
Our country is great because of the talents of our people, from every tribe, tongue, and religion. Our diversities are our strength. We must reject every attempt to divide us; our focus must be on developing our economy, providing opportunities in industry, manufacturing, technology for our young people. To borrow from Dike Chukwumerije, a young Nigerian poet – “we must build bridges not walls.”

We must continue to have faith in our great country. I thank you for your continued patience all workers of this nation, and your sacrifices towards moving the nation forward. Nigerian workers are by any estimation, the most patriotic segments of the population. You are amongst the most committed taxpayers, because your taxes are deducted at the source. Hence, nobody can deny you the right to interrogate government and how public funds are expended at all times. You remain amongst the few organizations that have risen above primordial sentiments and have gone across tribe and ethnicity and religion to come together to unite for a common purpose.

We believe that the worst is over for Nigeria. Accordingly, we will do everything within our powers to sustain the current economic recovery efforts. We will continue to reinforce our macroeconomic policies, to achieve sustainable economic stability and growth. We will also continue to ensure that growth comes along with more jobs and a fair and just distribution of the national wealth.

This administration has come this far, always counting on the continued support and goodwill of the Nigerian organized labour. I am confident that together we would achieve our objective, of building a united and prosperous nation.

Thank you all for your attention and may Almighty God bless us all and our great country, Nigeria.

​Released by:

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President, On Media and Publicity,
Office of the Vice President
1st May, 2018​

Transcript of an Interview by VP Osinbajo during His Visit to ICT/Innovation Hubs/Companies in Lagos

Q: What’s your impression of the seven Technology & Innovation hubs you visited?

Vice President: It has been an exciting day. We’ve been, as you said, to a number of technology enterprises and hubs. We’ve been to Paystack, Andela, Flutterwave, Workstation, FarmCrowdy, African Fintech Foundry, and here we are at Co-Creation Hub.

What strikes one immediately is the sheer amount of innovation that is available and is going on. And I must confess that it is unbelievable that so much is going on.

I have been talking for a few months now about some of the businesses and the hubs that I visited today. I had a chance to chat and talk about various things. What strikes you is that there is so much going on, so many young people; so many creative ideas. It’s just incredible. And that tells you what the future is going to look like. Already, as we always say, the future is here. I have seen for myself the sheer creativity. Practically every type of enterprise has been disrupted by the technologies that we see. And a lot of the payment systems that we have been seeing, a lot of the technology companies that we see are doing incredible things.

Q: How can the Federal Government harness these tech talents?

Vice President: As you know, I chair the Economic Management Team of the Federal Government. I’m also chair of the National Economic Council. Technology is obviously the future; the future of our economy, the future of commerce and the future of industry. We recognize this in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and that’s one the reasons why I am here in the company of the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, the DG of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and, of course, the Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, and Commerce. We recognize that this is the way commerce is going to develop and that is why we are taking, first of all, such an active interest in their personal engagement.

We are also trying to see how we can collaborate, how we can partner with all of these enterprises and, in some cases, with membership organizations they have in order to be able to create the kind of environment that makes it possible for this to happen seamlessly and in a way that we actually can have a multiplication or replication of all we are seeing today.

So, we are collaborating already with a number of hubs and also with some that we are starting. For example, we are doing some work in partnership with Civic Hub in Abuja. We are doing some with the Humanitarian Hub in the North East, where we are focusing on the humanitarian challenges in the North East of Nigeria, and creating technology and innovation that could be helpful in solving some of their problems. We also have a Climate Change Hub in collaboration with the Lagos Business School. And, of course, we intend to collaborate and partner with Co-Creation Hub and several other hubs.

The point is that we are anxious not to get in the way. Government can sometimes get in the way of enterprise. What we really need to do is to partner and to work hand in hand with them so that we help in whatever way, in whatever difficulty that they have. In some case, it might be credit; in some others, it may just be in creating and ensuring the right policy.

So, on one of the things that we are trying to do is to set up a council of sorts. Already, we have an industrial and competitiveness council. We want to look at doing one for technology and for innovation as well so that we bring in some of the key players and thinkers around technology working with government and government officials to develop policy and various ways we can help them to do what they are doing better.

Q: Advice to existing and potential tech developers in the country?

Vice President: I’m going to borrow from the wise Minister of Science and Technology, who, earlier in the day in our discussion, said something. It is that a lot of those who are doing these enterprises, a lot of the technologies and innovators we’ve seen got the attention and got to where they are by being increasingly innovative and creative.

So, the only way to keep ahead of the curve, the way to keep ahead of anyone else is by increasingly innovative and by finding newer ways of doing things better. My advice is that the only way to keep ahead is by ensuring that you are ahead in terms of innovations and technology. From what I’ve seen here today, it is obvious that these guys do not have any plans to rest on their oars, as they say. They certainly intend to keep ahead. I’m excited to say that the advice they need is the advice they’ve already taken. I hope that when we come back to see them, what we see here would be much more advanced than what we are seeing here today.

Released by:

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
18 April, 2018

Press Release: Buhari Administration Has Invested in Nigeria’s Human Capital Through its Social Investment Programmes – VP Osinbajo

*SIPs: 7 million pupils being fed a meal daily in 22 states, 300,000 Nigerians benefit from CCT – VP Osinbajo

*Says 200,000 unemployed graduates now employed under N-power

*Success of Buhari administration’s SIPs, agriculture has created millions of jobs for Nigerians

Despite the fall in the price of crude oil, the main stay of Nigeria’s economy, and reduced national revenue as a result, at the time it was elected in 2015, the Buhari administration has been able to put in place the largest pro-poor programme in Nigeria’s history, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo said this on Thursday during the 10th Bola Ahmed Tinubu colloquium held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

In line with the theme of the event, ‘Investing in People’, the Vice President noted that the Buhari administration’s N500 Billion Social Investment Programme was an audacious decision because of the fall in crude oil prices when the administration was elected in 2015.

He said the Federal Government, in line with its determination to curb grand corruption, has made significant strides in improving the welfare of Nigerians and reaching millions of beneficiaries through its Social Investment Programmes.

The Vice President added that the Buhari administration was “determined to change the dominant narrative” about the country.

He said, “We were determined to ensure that the notion of a country rich in all natural resources, but even richer in human capital, but being destroyed daily by grand corruption, and the impunity in the looting of public resources; we had to change that narrative.

“We saw a nation where a few in office had so privatized the commonwealth that, while oil prices were at their highest and we were getting growth figures as high as 7%, the majority of people remained extremely poor. On one of our campaign trips in Zamfara State, Mr. President said, “Look at the eyes of this people,” and of course, we saw the poverty and desperation in their eyes. Then he said, “They expect us to fix this problem of their poverty as soon as we get into office.”

Prof. Osinbajo noted that the Buhari administration has invested heavily, not only in its Social Investment Programmes, SIPs, but also in agriculture, in line with its core objectives to improve security and the country’s economy, in particular the welfare of the people, and curb corruption.

He added that the SIPs have continued to record significant successes because the administration was determined to invest in Nigerians and so improve the economy.

The Vice President said, “So we decided on two things; one to invest heavily in Agriculture; to create jobs in the hinterlands, provide enough food locally and for all of the urban areas. In our agriculture programme, I’m sure that many would already agree that this has been a tremendous success. Several millions of Nigerians have been employed in agriculture. In fact, Mr. President tells the story of his own village where people used to lease out their farms to farmers from Kano. But now, nobody is leasing out their farms anymore. Everybody is on his own farm.

“Secondly we also decided to put in place an audacious Social Investment Programme to the tune of N500 billion, the largest pro-poor programme in our nation’s history, and the largest social safety net, at least in Sub-Saharan Africa. This was despite the fact that by 2015, oil prices fell by over 50% and our production also fell from over 2 million barrels a day to less than 700,000 barrels a day, sometimes even 500,000 barrels in 2016.

“We have seen today the empirical evidence of the successes of this programme, and all of that is evident for us to see and listen to several testimonies and stories. 200,000 jobs for graduates employed under the N-Power programme, 300,000 more waiting to be employed; they have been pre-selected; over 7 million children being fed daily in 22 States so far; beneficiaries of microcredit loans going to about 300,000; and almost 300,000 households benefiting from conditional cash transfers.”

Released by:

Laolu Akande,
Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity)
Office of the Vice President
30th March, 2018

VP Osinbajo’s Remarks at the Flag-off of the Lekki Deep Sea Port Project

I am delighted to be here this morning for the flag-off of the Lekki Deep Sea Port Project.

This is a landmark project for several crucial reasons and the first is that the promoters of this project are targeting about 1.5 million, Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) container capacity annually, which they expect to grow to about 2.7 million and 4.5 million TEUs when the project operations commences.

With this fit, Lekki port will become one of the largest deep water ports in our region, and serve as a hub for port operations in the whole of West Africa. There is no question at all that the project will be the sort of project that the promoters have said that it will be, and with all of the plans that they have for developing it, we expect that it will be the largest in Africa.

It is expected that the project construction, once completed, will influence the generation of up to about 170,000 direct and indirect new jobs in the economy.

The promoters, I am told, also plan to dredge the port channel to about 16 meters draught, which is not currently obtainable in any sea port in the country. This, in itself, is an indication that ships of larger sizes, I’m told, very large crude carriers, will visit the port and greater efficiency and economy of scale will generate significant revenues for the Nigerian economy, with government earning a significant portion of it.

The second reason why this, for us, is a landmark event is, with respect to our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, its emphasis on supporting game-changing infrastructure projects directed at making major impact on trade and commerce.

In the past two budgets, we have provided an aggregate of about N90 billion for the development of Special Economic Zones. We are developing the Lekki Special Economic Zones as a model Special Economic Zone specifically targeting exports. The development of this deep sea port is mission critical to the achievement of the important objective of creating these Special Economic Zones.

So, the third reason is the commitment of our economic philosophy to private sector leadership of our economic development efforts. This project is essentially private sector driven. The Toleram group and China Harbour are, of course, the lead private sector participants in this project. And as you have heard, their commitment to this project is total and we have seen the different scenarios of this project, they have driven it to this point with great tenacity and I must commend and congratulate them.

The Nigerian Ports Authority and Lagos State Government are the public sector partners in this project. The business of government is to contribute by way of equity where necessary, to projects of this size, but more importantly to create the enabling environment for the private sector to do business.

While commending all the parties to this landmark project, I want to commend very specially the Honourable Minister of Transportation, whose zeal has continued to drive this project; he keeps talking about it all the time. In the cabinet he talks about it all the time, so I want to commend him for the way he has pushed this project.

Let me say that we must move ahead to ensure the speedy completion of this project. There will be problems as I am sure you have experienced some, but be assured that the Federal Government and the Lagos State government, will be with you every step of the way to ensure that we give all the support required.

Let me, therefore, on this note, before we get to the cutting of ribbons once again congratulate everyone involved in this project.

God Bless you.

Released by:

Laolu Akande,
Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity)
Office of the Vice President
30th March, 2018

Remarks by VP Osinbajo at the 7th Presidential Quarterly Business Forum in Abuja

Opening Remarks

Before I go into my few remarks, I just want to add to some of the questions that have been asked. A question was asked on the railways and what has been happening especially with respect to being able to evacuate goods from the ports. Two things happening; first, I’m sure some are already familiar with the concession given to General Electric, to refurbish the Narrow Gauge Lines, which starts from the Ports itself. That concession is already in place, and we expect that things should begin to happen very quickly. Also in the private sector, one of the members of that consortium – APM Terminal, is going to do something on a railway station on the way to Ibadan and trying to develop an inland port there. They say they can do this in 10 weeks and we hope that means a further reduction in the pressure on the Apapa port.

Asides from that, the Standard Gauge Line which is funded by the China EximBank has already started and taking off from the Apapa port. We expect that by the end of this year, we should see significant progress between the Lagos-Ibadan end of that Standard Gauge Line. As a matter of fact, our target is to have that bit of it concluded by the end of this year and we hope we can achieve that. So that would move goods from the Apapa port out of Lagos to at least as far as Ibadan, before going to Kano which is the terminal point of the Standard Gauge Line.

The other question I would like to add to is concerning the Eastern ports, because someone asked about the Onitsha port. The concession agreements on that have been finalised, all the technical evaluations have been done, it is going to the Attorney-General’s office and we expect that it should be sorted out very shortly.

In that same Eastern port axis, there is a Warri port, the technical evaluation is still going on, it hasn’t been concluded yet but we expect that it should move on very quickly.

The other point is the frustration that many of us feel when we come into Nigeria through our airports and of course, some of the frustrations around the seaports in bringing in goods.

The point that was made especially about two people sitting together, questioning you and passing your passport from one person to the other, is what we are all generally irritated about. What we require is i-check, which is quite an elaborate device which enables us to get advance passenger information ahead of passengers arriving at the ports. This enables us to do two things; one, it enables us to give visas on arrival because you already have the information of the passenger. Secondly, it removes the necessity of more than one person checking the passport because you already have advance information, the other security person works from the backend. We expect that when that is installed, we would be able to achieve that and remove the nuisance of two/three people checking passports.

Last week, we held a meeting with all the agencies that are usually at the ports, and you find that there are several of them. The idea is to reduce this number and ensure only those who must absolutely be there are there. There are some who don’t need to be there but rather be summoned when their services are required.

The permanent solution we are proposing for bringing in and taking out goods from our ports is through our single window, the National Trading Platform. We have gone very far with that, and we expect that should be on stream very shortly. We are at the point where this is going to FEC for a final approval.

With the single window, a lot of the stress will be greatly reduced, and with the appropriate scanners run by concessions with PPP arrangements, we should be able to achieve greater ease of coming into our ports and exporting goods from our ports.

Main Speech

Let me join my cabinet colleagues in thanking you for making the time yet again to attend the Quarterly Business Forum (QBF). This is the 7th Forum, and there are many here who have attended all seven, to them we are of course, especially indebted for their consistent faith and support for this process; even those who haven’t attended seven, have attended several and there are some who are attending for the first time.

It is important that we continue to emphasize that for us both philosophically and as a practical matter, our partnership with the private sector is fundamental. Aside from the QBF, we have established other platforms to harness the partnership, these include the Industrial Policy & Competitiveness Advisory Council and the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council. These are interactive platforms where we bring the private sector to collaborate, develop and think through policies with us and in the Competiveness Council to even implement policies with us.

I think this is the way we ought and have to continue because when you consider the size of the Federal Government’s budget, and even when you total the aggregate States’ government budget, you find that the absolute amounts are very small indeed but once you factor in the private sector, that becomes the real economy of Nigeria and there is no way of talking about the economic development of Nigeria without the private sector seating at the table, playing a critical role.

I have asked the question, and I ask again? What was wrong with the Nigerian economy and what did we need to do to correct the flaws?

There are several issues, many of which have been well articulated in all earlier presentations. But I want to talk about what I think is probably the biggest problem but which we for some reason hardly talk about when discussing our National economy. This is grand corruption in the public finance space!

Sometimes, the way we talk about the Nigerian economy, it appears like it is the economy of say Norway or Sweden, where all things are equal. Even when we refer to what has taken place in our economy, we almost sound as if this is a normal business environment, a normal public finance environment but that is not the case. I don’t think that any considerations of our economic development can be properly or honestly done without fully analysing the role of grand corruption in the public finance space.

So despite record high levels of oil prices, very little was invested in infrastructure and record levels of leakages were recorded, especially in the past few years. This is the fundamental issue in our economy. Corruption affects everything, it even affects judgement as to what sort of infrastructure to put in place or whether to even put infrastructure in place or whether it would be completed. It is so fundamental that we cannot even think of our economy, without thinking of what to do about it.

Sometimes when we talk about our economy, we say that we have relied on a single commodity, and that is one of the reasons why we are where we are. Yes, that is true but it is the fact that the proceeds of that single commodity were regularly hijacked consistently by a few. That is really the problem. If we spend the proceeds of that single commodity the way we ought to spend it, we won’t be where we are today.

That most of the proceeds go to rent seekers, who invest little in industry and production.

So for example, I’m sure many of us are familiar with the so called strategic alliance contracts with the NNPC and NDPC, the promoters of the companies made away with close to 3billion US dollars, almost a tenth of our reserves at one point! There is no way if someone made away with that amount, a tenth of your reserves, that there won’t be a major economic shock! If we don’t deal with it and talk about it, how do we really discuss our economy in any real honest way with a view to ensuring that these things do not happen again?

In one single transaction, a few weeks to the elections in 2015, the sum of N100billion and $289million in cash were embezzled by a few. When you consider that in 2014, when oil prices were an average of $110 per barrel, only N99billion was spent on Power, Works and Housing, and in one day, N100billion was issued and people essentially shared it and N99billion was spent on Power, Works and Housing. When we talk about our economy, we talk about it like it is normal but it is abnormal by every standard, completely abnormal. Nobody should talk about the economy when you have these huge leakages and corruption; corruption that makes what you allocate to capital and infrastructure nonsense.

From the presentation of Minister of Finance, N14billion was spent on agriculture in 2014, transportation N15billion. The total spend on capital in those critical areas was N153billion and in two weeks to the 2015 election, N150billion was shared and essentially shared! So if your total capital spend is N150billion and you can share N153billion, let’s face it, that is completely incredible! It is the sort of thing that doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world. When we talk about the economy, we absolutely must understand that is the problem

Today with less revenue, we have increased capital funding by 400% in Power, Works and Housing, Defence, Transportation and Agriculture. Economic analysis in Nigeria is either fraudulent or ignorant if we do not bring the money lost to corruption into the maths.

This is what distinguishes this administration from any other. It is the fight against corruption especially in public finance. And I can say that will all sense of responsibility, if you have a President who is not corrupt, at least 50% of your financial problems, especially in public finance, is over. This is what I have seen, and I can prove it with facts and figures.

If the President is corrupt, the entire financial system of the country is compromised, that is what we have seen from the figures. That is an absolute important point that we must take into account.

I am not saying that corruption under this administration has been completely dealt, certainly not. Where corruption has become systematic, you can’t deal with it all in one fell swoop. In any event you still have to deal with corruption fighting back, the system fights back, it is both an internal and external fight, and you have to be steadfast and strategic to win the battle. There is no way you have a system that has consistently thrived on corruption and proceeds of corruption and public finance in particular that will just roll over, no! It is a system that had actively dealt on corruption and the system affects all aspects of governance. So clearly trying to deal with it is not a walk in the park.

I want to say that task has already begun and being done consistently, I believe that going forward in the next few years, no matter how we slice it, if we stick to policies especially in controlling excesses and corruption in public finance, this country will make the kind of progress it deserves to make with all of the resources at our disposal. If we stick to a policy that ensures that as far as public finance is concerned, there is no impunity, and we hold people to account, I am absolutely confident this country has everything it takes to make the sort of progress that we deserve to make as a nation.

Again, let me thank everyone for your participation and continued support and confidence in the work we are doing. I want to say all the comments and issues are taken seriously. We will go back, and look at what we need to do to ensure that all our objectives, plans and thoughts come to fruition, and that our country becomes a better place for doing business and the economy of our country grows to the benefit of our people.

I want to thank you again very much. God bless you.

Released by:

Laolu Akande
SSA, Media and Publicity to the President
Office of the Vice President
March 19, 2018

Transcript of a Media Interview Granted by the Vice President to a Group of Journalists & Social Media Practitioners in Lagos State on March 2, 2018

Q: On Nigeria’s rating by Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index.

Vice President: I think that by even Transparency International’s own assessment, Transparency International uses nine different indexes to come to a conclusion. In four out of those indexes, Nigeria moved up, in another four Nigeria stabilized & dropped in only one index. So in aggregation, it (T.I) then decides that it has fallen in certain number of points below where we were.

I think the important thing to bear in mind about Nigeria’s anti-corruption fight is that the government has done what it ought to do by focusing on grand corruption. Grand corruption is the type we experienced years before when, for example, $15 billion was lost in defence contract. Two, three weeks to election, N100 billion in cash was taken out, and again $293 million in cash, two weeks, three weeks to election. That’s the kind of impunity. And of course you are also familiar with the scam that went on in the NNPC at the time; the so called statutory contracts, that’s grand corruption. That is the corruption that crippled the economy of the country.

Let me tell you very quickly how you can recognize that we have scaled a good deal on grand corruption today: despite the fact that we are earning 60 percent less in revenue, we are actually able to spend more than ever before in the history of this country on infrastructure. In 2017, we spent about N1.3 trillion on capital. That’s the highest in the history of the country. So we are able to do far more with far less because we have controlled the impunity that went on, the grand corruption, and all of that.

Now, how does that translate to perception; because grand corruption is a big aspect of corruption. It’s a big one because if you cannot control grand corruption, you can’t do what you want to do. But then you cannot address the corruption as you go through our airports, our ports or as you go through government offices, in many cases. That’s where the whole perception emerges.

We must have a deeper and much wider way of dealing with corruption. How are you going to do that? You must have an efficient way of doing that; like automation, removing discretion from individuals.

Q: What is the institutionalized process of fighting corruption?

Vice President: Institutionalization is not a one-off thing, it’s a process, and we are dealing with that, that’s exactly what we are doing. For example, the TSA and being able to look at government accounts and all of that is one way of institutionalizing a process by which you can be sure of what people are doing, how this things are happening. The process of allowing the EFCC to do its work without dictation, saying that “look, this what the EFCC is doing”, and giving them every support that you can. These are ways of institutionalizing. And it is that same process that we are taking in the public service – Automation.

For example, look at all that we have done in the ease of doing business. The whole point of doing that is institutionalizing processes, so that when you come into Nigeria you can get your visa after applying online; so that Customs don’t have to sit around the airport, that is why we are putting in the I-check and we are putting all sorts of other processes. That is to institutionalize; it’s not a one-off process.

Q: What’s the national strategy on anti-corruption?

Vice President: That’s a long conversation, but put simply, the national strategy is to ensure that public officers in particular are not able to privatize public finances. And how do we intend to achieve that? We intend to achieve that by ensuring that there is consequence for corruption and also by automating processes, removing discretion from individuals because if you don’t remove discretion from individuals the individuals can have discretion as whether or not they will grant certain approvals through certain processes; then you continue to encourage corruption at one level or the other.

Q: Asides from the EFCC, it seems the other anti-corruption agencies such as the ICPC are doing nothing…

Vice President: Well, I don’t agree. I think that you will find that alongside the work of the EFCC, in fact one of the critical things we do is, we try and re-direct the ICPC. We appointed the executive secretary of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, PACAC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, to head that body and we believe the ICPC is the important part of the whole fight against corruption. We revamped the leadership of the ICPC. Unfortunately we were stalled because it requires Senate confirmation, that hasn’t been done. That is the area of focus for us because the ICPC is supposed to be involved, not just in corruption, but in orientation and re-orientation of the public service. So, it’s an important part of our work.

Q: Nigerians in diaspora are one of the biggest foreign exchange contributors of about $20 billion. Aside from having a Special Adviser to the President on Diaspora Affairs, does Nigeria have a Diaspora partnership?

Vice President: I think we’ve also gone beyond the Office of the Adviser; we now have a Diaspora Commission by law, which I think is a policy step. That Commission will aggregate a lot of the records through data for diaspora in order to encourage the diaspora to interact more with government, with private sector and all that. But don’t forget that, with the whole diaspora experience and what is in tune with other nations of the world; the usual focus is on remittances; what are they able to remit as it is pointed out, it is a substantial amount of money. It is something in the region of $20 billion.

But it obviously goes beyond that. In developing the economy we also need diaspora’s talent. So we need diaspora in technology, we need diaspora in education, medical practice and all that. The Ministry of Health, for example, actively engaged with the personnel in diaspora for specialists, setting equipment and all of that. But I believe that one of the most critical ways of doing so is through the diaspora commission, ordering it, measuring it; once that is constituted.

Q: Allegations of nepotism against the Buhari administration.

Vice President: Look at the cabinet, for example, from the point of view of the religion, it has an equal number – 18 Christians, 18 Muslims; but, we have the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as well as the Head of Service who are Christians. So we have 20 Christians to 18 Muslims; that’s the structure of the cabinet. So if you take that narrative you may argue that perhaps the Christian have the upper hand; that’s a possible narrative.

Let us look a little deeper into that, so there are those who may argue, for example, that the north has an upper hand or perhaps one section has an upper hand in the cabinet as one narrative. The South East, for example, has five states. Four of the South Eastern states have senior ministers; all of them, except one, who is Minister of State for Education.

Q: The President has no choice in that, it is a constitutional requirement.

Vice President: In assigning particular portfolios he does. In the north, seven northern states have no senior minister, including the President’s home state, Katsina. Now, there are those who will say, if you are nepotistic; surely seven northern states have no senior minister. It’s a narrative depending on how you want to run it.

I give you another example; I’m from the South West. There are people who will say “I am from the South West, the North has everything.” The South West, for the first time in the history of this country, has one Minister who is in charge of three ministries: Power, Works and Housing. The Ministers of Finance & Communications are also from the South West. These are critical ministries. You can run the narrative in whichever way that you choose. There are those who will say, for instance, look at the number of CEOs of agencies of government; the highest number of CEOs in our nation today comes from Ogun State, the state has the largest number. There are those who will say that’s his state (i.e VP’S State). So you can run the narrative depending on how you want to run it.

The President has admitted that, yes there are situations where you can find certain things as true and he intends to have a look at that. For example, you’ve given the example of security positions and he said he is going to take a look at look at it. I believe that is the way to go because you can run any narrative that will suit the figures you are showing. And that is where we have legal process. There are people who don’t know that the number of CEOs from Anambra State are more than the number of CEOs from Katsina State or anywhere else, except Ogun.

Released by:

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
04 March, 2018

Speech: VP Osinbajo’s Remarks at the Inaugural Flagship Lecture of the Kukah Centre

It is a special privilege to welcome the President of the Republic of Ghana, President Nana Akufo-Addo, perhaps the one African President who Nigerians see as truly one of their own. The sheer number of invitations that President Akufo-Addo gets to speak here in Nigeria, I’m sure will only compare with the number of times he has to speak in Ghana.

But asides that, in barely a year in office, President Akufo-Addo’s strong and articulate voice on behalf of Africa has helped to present the African development story with insight, depth and above all, the hope that seems to have been missing in previous and even contemporary narratives.

But Your Excellency, it was a part of your honest and heartfelt presentation of Ghana’s democratic and development journey at the Cambridge Union on Democracy and Development that I found personally most instructive, especially your profound observation about the fundamental role of strong institutions, justice and the rule of law. This perhaps for me, is the most crucial issue in “How To Make Democracy Work for Africa.”

There is no question, that democracy and democratization are challenged everywhere, even in the oldest democracies, democracy is still a work-in-progress. That is one of the biggest lessons of recent years, as elections and referendums throw up new and unprecedented scenarios across the world.

The narrowness of the Brexit vote, and the way it has subsequently divided the United Kingdom, and the electoral rise of populist right wing and even extremist tendencies, are all examples of the grave threats to democracy.

Indeed, recently the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), which publishes an annual democracy Index, the 2017 Index “records the worst decline in global democracy in years. Not a single region recorded an improvement in its average score since 2016, as countless countries grapple with increasingly divided electorates.” It is clear that democracy is in somewhat, a turbulent trajectory.

But for Africa, challenges to democracy pose a graver threat because of a historical failure to invest sufficiently in nation building and state building. Many of the ethnic and other parochial tensions that have tended to create insecurity and outright conflict time and time again, are on account of failure to deliberately undertake nation – building efforts.

The elite, it appears prefer the status quo which sets the lowest possible bar for political advancement that is identity politics; where do you come from? Or to which religion do you belong? And it is through that paradigm that most issues are analyzed. So the real issues that concern our people are often diminished – good governance, jobs for a growing population of young people, poverty alleviation, peace and security, etc. Those are never properly analyzed, or even allowed to take their prominence in public debates especially in debates leading to elections.

So the forging of a national identity and purpose, built around agreed values and principles, is crucial for engendering commitment to national goals and sustaining peace and security.

Concerning state building, the capacity to which government is able to deliver on the rule of law, law and order, good governance and social goods, it is clear that extreme inequality, weak systems of justice, absence of the rule of law, lack of state capacity to maintain law and order, put nations constantly under a real threat of coming undone.

That is the African story, democracy yes, elections yes, but the question of state building and the capacity of the state to deliver on its most important role which is security and ensuring justice and the rule of law, is often threatened because we simply have not invested enough in the institutions that make this possible.

So in ensuring security, problems of weak policing are some of the issues we experience. Also, the perception of the people on the efficiency and fairness of the justice system is affected by the slow pace of trials and the manipulation of the systems by those who can afford superior legal representation.

So you find that we have an anti- corruption war but questions remain as to how many people have been convicted? But the system can easily be manipulated because you put people on trial, but the trials can go on forever; we have a system that enables people to employ dilatory tactics. We need to strengthen the systems that people can rely and trust.

The solution is the modern State: to wit a merit-driven bureaucracy, a strong law and order architecture, the rule of law, and an adjudicatory system that is well resourced and immune to manipulation.

Let me end my remarks with one of President Akufo-Addo’s tweets which I found particularly instructive to the development especially of our thinking about where Africa should be headed in the next few years. I quote: “It is time for Africa to come of age and hold its rightful place on the world stage. This Africa will be neither victim nor a pawn. This Africa will be honest to itself and to the World.”

I must say that I agree entirely with that – the African leadership elite have run out of excuses, we can no longer go on with the African exceptionalism which we have seen and heard time and time again, that it is a different rule for Africa or different rules apply to Africa, no that is not true! The truth is just as President Akufo- Addo said, we can no longer hide under the excuses of being victims or pawns in the world order. The people of our nations expect us to deliver on the important promises that politicians make which is delivering social goods, ensuring our ever growing youth population get jobs, ensuring there is rule of law and security.

These are issues that remain prominent in Africa, so Your Excellency, it is my very special pleasure and privilege to welcome you to Nigeria once again.

Thank you all.

Released by:
Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
February 15, 2018